Burner igniting system for gas stove

ABSTRACT

A burner igniting system includes a burner disposed in a gas stove, a pilot light disposed in the gas stove for supplying a flame to the burner, an igniting and sensing device disposed in the gas stove for igniting the pilot light and for sensing a presence of flame on the pilot light, and a control device includes two or more processing devices (MCU 1-n), a high voltage circuit electrically connected the processing devices (MCU 1-n) for being actuated by the processing devices (MCU 1-n), and the processing devices (MCU 1-n) and the high voltage circuit are electrically connected to the igniting and sensing device for actuating the igniting and sensing device to selectively ignite the burner with the pilot light.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a burner igniting system for a gas stove, and more particularly to a burner igniting system for a gas stove including a simplified structure or configuration having fewer parts or elements for effectively igniting the burner of the gas stove and for preventing the burner igniting system from being easily damaged.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical igniting systems for igniting the burner of the gas stove comprise a spark generating circuit to produce sparks for igniting gas burners and a plurality of electrodes which are connected with the spark generating circuit for the ignition of the gas burners, a flame sensor circuit is operated in a first period for producing sparks, through of the electrodes, and in a second period and once the gas burner has been ignited, for sensing the presence of flame on each gas burner, and a reestablishing circuit, a current sensor circuit and control means are connected for generating first activation signals for the ignition of the burner, for monitoring the presence of flame on the burner and for emitting first sound signals to indicate that the burner has been ignited and, if no presence of flame is detected on the burner, for generating second activation signals for re-igniting the burner until that a maximum time for the ignition of the burner has been exceed.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,180 to Fredin-Garcia-Jurado et al. discloses one of the typical igniting systems for igniting the burner of the gas stove and also comprising a spark generating circuit to produce sparks for igniting gas burners, and a flame sensor circuit and a current sensor circuit are further required to be provided for sensing or detecting the flame and the current respectively.

However, the typical igniting system includes a complicated structure or configuration that may include a complicated making or manufacturing procedure and that is required to be made or manufactured by specialized persons, and that may include a greatly increased manufacturing cost.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional burner igniting systems for gas stoves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a burner igniting system for a gas stove including a simplified structure or configuration having fewer parts or elements for effectively igniting the burner of the gas stove and for preventing the burner igniting system from being easily damaged.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a burner igniting system comprising a base plate disposed in a gas stove, a burner disposed in the gas stove, a pilot light disposed on the base plate for supplying a flame to the burner, an igniting and sensing device disposed on the base plate for igniting the pilot light and for sensing a presence of flame on the pilot light, and a control device including a first processing device (MCU 1), a second processing device (MCU 2), at least one third processing device (MCU n), a high voltage circuit electrically connected the first and the second and the third processing devices (MCU 1-n) for being actuated and operated by the first and the second and the third processing devices (MCU 1-n), and the first and the second and the third processing devices (MCU 1-n) and the high voltage circuit being electrically connected to the igniting and sensing device for actuating the igniting and sensing device to selectively ignite the burner with the pilot light.

The control device includes a voltage sensing circuit electrically connected to the high voltage circuit for sensing a voltage in the control device. The control device includes a comparator electrically connected to the voltage sensing circuit and the high voltage circuit for sending a compared signal to the processing devices.

The control device includes an ignition detecting circuit electrically connected to the first and the second and the third processing devices (MCU 1-n) for detecting whether the burner has been ignited or not. The ignition detecting circuit may be selected from a trigger diode.

The control device includes a timer electrically connected to the high voltage circuit and the ignition detecting circuit and the first and the second and the third processing devices (MCU 1-n) for determining a time period that the burner has not been successfully ignited.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a burner igniting system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan schematic view illustrating the circuit and/or the parts or elements of the burner igniting system; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the burner igniting system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a burner igniting system in accordance with the present invention comprises a platform or base plate 10 disposed or attached or mounted or secured in a gas stove 80, in which the other parts or portions of the gas stove 80 are typical and are not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details and have not been shown or illustrated, a burner 20 disposed or attached or mounted or secured in the gas stove 80, a pilot light 21 disposed or attached or mounted or secured on the base plate 10 for supplying a flame to the burner 20, and an igniting and sensing device 22 also disposed or attached or mounted or secured on the base plate 10 for igniting the pilot light 21 and for sensing the presence of flame on the pilot light 21. It is to be noted that only the igniting and sensing device 22 is required to be provided for both igniting the pilot light 21 and sensing the presence of flame on the pilot light 21.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the burner igniting system further includes a control circuit or device 3 having a first control or treating or processing unit or device (MCU 1) 31, a second control or treating or processing unit or device (MCU 2) 32, . . . and an nth control or treating or processing unit or device (MCU n) 33, a high voltage circuit 34 electrically connected or coupled to the processing devices (MCU 1) 31, (MCU 2) 32, . . . (MCU n) 33 for being actuated or operated by the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33, and the processing devices (MCU 1) 31, (MCU 2) 32, . . . (MCU n) 33 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 are electrically connected or coupled to the igniting and sensing device 22 for actuating or operating the igniting and sensing device 22 to selectively ignite the burner 20 with the pilot light 21.

The control circuit or device 3 further includes a voltage sensing circuit 35 electrically connected or coupled to the high voltage circuit 34 (FIGS. 1, 3) for sensing or detecting the voltage in the circuit of the control device 3, and a flame or ignition sensing or ignition detecting circuit 36 electrically connected or coupled to the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 for sensing or detecting or determining whether the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has been actuated or operated or ignited or not, and/or for sensing or detecting whether the flame in the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 is existed or distinguished or not. The ignition detecting circuit 36 may be selected from a gaseous discharge tube, a trigger diode or the like.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, the processing devices (MCU 1) 31, (MCU 2) 32, . . . (MCU n) 33 are electrically connected or coupled to the high voltage circuit 34 which is electrically connected or coupled to the voltage sensing circuit 35, the voltages or signals generated by the high voltage circuit 34 and/or the voltage sensing circuit 35 may further be sent to the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 in order to actuate or operate the igniting and sensing device 22 to selectively ignite the burner 20 with the pilot light 21, either with the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 or the high voltage circuit 34 or the voltage sensing circuit 35. The ignition detecting circuit 36 may then be used to sense or detect whether the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has been actuated or operated or ignited or not.

For example, when the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has been actuated or operated or ignited, the voltage sensing circuit 35 may sense or detect a high voltage signal or a low impedance; and may sense or detect a low voltage signal or a high impedance when the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has not been actuated or operated or ignited, and the sensed or detected signals may be sent from the voltage sensing circuit 35 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 to the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 in order to determine or confirm that the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has been successfully actuated or operated or ignited. The high voltage signal sensed or detected by the high voltage circuit 34 and/or the voltage sensing circuit 35 may be rectified and sent to a comparator 37 (FIG. 2) which is electrically connected or coupled to the voltage sensing circuit 35 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 and which may send the compared signal to the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33.

When the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has not been actuated or operated or ignited, the sensed or detected signals may also be sent from the voltage sensing circuit 35 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 to the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 which may then actuate or operate the voltage sensing circuit 35 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 again in order to continuously actuate or operate the voltage sensing circuit 35 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 and to actuate or operate the igniting and sensing device 22 to selectively ignite the burner 20 with the pilot light 21.

A timer 40 is further provided and electrically connected or coupled to the high voltage circuit 34 and the ignition detecting circuit 36 and/or the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 for determining a time period that the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has not been successfully actuated or operated or ignited; i.e., once the ignition detecting circuit 36 has determined that the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has not been successfully actuated or operated or ignited, the timer 40 may start to count down and to determine a time period and may send the time period signal to the high voltage circuit 34 and/or the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 so as to actuate or operate the igniting and sensing device 22 to selectively ignite the burner 20 with the pilot light 21 again after the time period.

When the pilot light 21 and/or the burner 20 has not been successfully actuated or operated or ignited for several times, such as three times, four times, five times or the like, the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 may shut off the voltage sensing circuit 35 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 and/or the igniting and sensing device 22 in the process 41, and to determine that the igniting and sensing device 22 may not be successfully actuated or operated or ignited in the process 42, and will not actuate or operate the igniting and sensing device 22 again before the igniting and sensing device 22 is checked and repaired by the users. Again, it is to be noted that only the igniting and sensing device 22 is required to be provided for both igniting the pilot light 21 and sensing the presence of flame on the pilot light 21, and the igniting and sensing device 22 may be controlled or actuated or operated by the processing devices (MCU 1-n) 31-33 and/or the high voltage circuit 34 and/or the voltage sensing circuit 35.

Accordingly, the burner igniting system in accordance with the present invention for the gas stove includes a simplified structure or configuration having fewer parts or elements for effectively igniting the burner of the gas stove and for preventing the burner igniting system from being easily damaged.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A burner igniting system comprising: a base plate disposed in a gas stove, a burner disposed in said gas stove, a pilot light disposed on said base plate for supplying a flame to said burner, an igniting and sensing device disposed on said base plate for igniting said pilot light and for sensing a presence of flame on said pilot light, and a control device including a first processing device (MCU 1), a second processing device (MCU 2), at least one third processing device (MCU n), a high voltage circuit electrically connected said first and said second and said at least one third processing devices (MCU 1-n) for being actuated and operated by said first and said second and said at least one third processing devices (MCU 1-n), and said first and said second and said at least one third processing devices (MCU 1-n) and said high voltage circuit being electrically connected to said igniting and sensing device for actuating said igniting and sensing device to selectively ignite said burner with said pilot light.
 2. The burner igniting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control device includes a voltage sensing circuit electrically connected to said high voltage circuit for sensing a voltage in said control device.
 3. The burner igniting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control device includes a comparator electrically connected to said voltage sensing circuit and said high voltage circuit for sending a compared signal to said processing devices.
 4. The burner igniting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control device includes an ignition detecting circuit electrically connected to said first and said second and said at least one third processing devices (MCU 1-n) for detecting whether said burner has been ignited or not.
 5. The burner igniting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control device includes a timer electrically connected to said high voltage circuit and said ignition detecting circuit and said first and said second and said at least one third processing devices (MCU 1-n) for determining a time period that said burner has not been successfully ignited.
 6. The burner igniting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said ignition detecting circuit is selected from a trigger diode. 